Local Energy Action Plan (LEAP) ‘Making It Happen’ is supported through Renfrewshire Council’s Tackling Poverty Programme to improve the comfort and fuel efficiency of fuel poor and vulnerable residents’ homes across urban and rural Renfrewshire. It is designed to make measurable difference and beneficial long term changes for those in need and to become self-sustaining in the future.

We aim to help to help fuel poor and vulnerable residents across Renfrewshire LEAP ‘Making It Happen’ offers free home energy advice and identification and installation of appropriate practical measures, such as draught proofing, changing light bulbs to LEDs, identifying and remedying complex heat loss and helping householders access specific support when needed (through referral to partner organisations or wider government schemes as appropriate).

Supporting 80 people, to 31st May 2017 to reduce costs, save energy and receive help to be lifted out of fuel poverty. All practical actions are accomplished for free by LEAP experienced team for residents who are less able financially and physically to carry out tasks which can help keep them more comfortable and save money in the long term.

Who is eligible? – Fuel poor and vulnerable households in Renfrewshire. We appreciate partner organisations’ support in putting households forward for this scheme and will consider and assess all households referred, for example, clients could include but are not limited to those struggling with fuel bills, health conditions, living in cold, damp homes, etc.

Process – LEAP Community Energy Advisors will contact householders directly (usually by phone) once referred to make an appointment for a ‘Help at Home’ visit where a detailed household energy assessment will be carried out and tailored ‘Home Action Plan’ made. This plan and practical measures installation will be carried out at follow up visits supporting households with their particular needs.

Mary was referred to us as her living room is much colder than rest of house with the radiator currently being on the close wall and also feeling the draught coming through living room windows. Mary has health issues and doesn’t keep well. Paul from LEAP visited Mary and assessed what would be the best help for her. We installed reflective radiator panels to help keep the heat in, a letterbox draught-excluder and re-instated a slipped seal on her living room window to keep draughts out, and replaced old high electricity use bulbs with 15 LED bulbs to give good light and keep her electricity bills down. We helped advise partner organisation Mary’s housing association who in turn have fitted an extra radiator and are checking and fixing the window seals throughout Mary’s home.

Mary said: “I have noticed a big difference in being much warmer at home. I would definitely recommend LEAP to friends and family. Excellent service provided throughout and the staff are really friendly and helpful”

Jade and Bella, Paisley

Jade a young woman with her 18 month old baby daughter Bella were referred to us when they were just about to move into ground floor flat and would really benefit from underfloor insulation before the flooring was installed. We worked quickly to visit to assess the underfloor situation and had the underfloor insulation installed within a week of referral, coordinating to complete it in the morning prior to the floor covering being installed in the afternoon for minimum disturbance. There were only 3 old inefficient incandescent lightbulbs left in 7 light fittings when Jade was moving in so we replaced all 7 with B22 LED’s (12W) and left one spare. We also bled all the radiators (hall & bathroom particularly full of air) and topped up the system pressure at the boiler making the whole system run efficiently to keep Jade and Bella cosy. Jade said: “I notice a huge improvement in the warmth of my home. I would definitely recommend LEAP. 5 stars!” Building a self-sustaining

Jade said: “I notice a huge improvement in the warmth of my home. I would definitely recommend LEAP. 5 stars!”

Building a self-sustaining programme – your organisation can help! We are building a self-sustaining

We are building a self-sustaining programme of work, which you can also support. LEAP has long standing experience of energy efficiency work starting out in 2010 and was established as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) in 2013. Our LEAP Energy business support service was established this year as a social enterprise to save businesses money and to generate income to help us to support fuel poor and vulnerable residents across Renfrewshire in the long-term. We can help our partner organisations and any business within the private, public and charity sectors save on their gas and electricity bills while you also help fund work in Renfrewshire with people facing fuel poverty. We can review your organisations business supply contract and gas and electricity bills in comparison to commercial suppliers across the Gas and Electricity market to give

We can review your organisations business supply contract and gas and electricity bills in comparison to commercial suppliers across the Gas and Electricity market to give best advice on contract and supplier changes to save your organisation valuable funds. All our energy saving advice is free of charge, our energy bill review takes the time and hassle out of doing it yourselves now and in future contract renewals. If you choose to switch your supplier contract with us we retain a tiny percentage of the supplier rate (much less than similar commercial brokers!) which makes a financial contribution to our valuable work carrying out practical actions to improve the living conditions in the homes of fuel poor and vulnerable residents in the long-term. Please see: www.leapenergy.co.uk for further details or contact us: http://www.leapenergy.co.uk/contact/ or Tel: 01505 612 034 to discuss further what we can do for your organisation.

With the proceeds from our social enterprise and through further funding we intend to continue ‘Making It Happen’ programme across Renfrewshire in line with demand and referrals we are receiving from partner organisations working with fuel poor and vulnerable householders. We appreciate your support and feedback to build on the learnings from ‘Making It Happen’, concentrating this practical action programme on those who need it most, and supporting the most vulnerable in our communities.